Whenever reference is made to trade with wildlife or wildlife products, people tend to immediately think of rhino horn or, unfortunately, illegal wildlife trade. It is also unfortunate that illegal wildlife trade in Africa is often confused with the legitimate wildlife industry.
Our late Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr Edna Molewa, said on World Wildlife Day 2018: “We will not allow our wildlife – ranging from plants such as cycads, fish, and reptiles to iconic species such as lion, rhino and elephant – to be plundered. South Africa, through our bold conservation practices, serves as an example worldwide of how species can be saved from extinction and how sustainable utilisation of our wildlife can be successfully implemented.”
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network (a non-governmental organisation working globally on trade…